


Lips are chapped and faded

by noseandfeetarerunning



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: M/M, josh has dry lips, tyler helps
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-03-18
Packaged: 2018-10-07 07:53:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10355670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noseandfeetarerunning/pseuds/noseandfeetarerunning
Summary: Josh has chapped lips, everyone notices. Josh stops having chapped lips and everyone notices too.





	

The novelty of being a meme had worn off.

Josh has had enough of zoomed in pictures of his lips and it was really starting to piss him off. 

Initially, the excitement of being a trending topic on twitter outweighed the embarrassing scrutiny his lips were receiving. But now, it was worrying.

The sheer number of chapsticks being thrown on stage was a danger to both his and Tyler's lives. And honestly? He's had enough of the 'lips are chapped and faded' puns.

He's expressed his distaste to Tyler multiple times, only to be met with an amused retort of:

"Well, why don't you try _not_ having chapped lips?"

Josh will kill him one day.

And it's not like he hasn't tried to solve his little problem. Earlier on when the fans' antics had been endearing and not unbearably infuriating, Tyler had filmed him trying out different flavoured chapsticks to determine the ultimate taste.

The bacon flavour made Tyler gag, but Josh kinda liked it.

They came to a mutual agreement that candyfloss both smelt and tasted the best, in addition to giving Josh's lips a pretty pink colour that _so_ went with his hair.

He applies the lip balm at least four times a day and uses Mama Dun's homemade lip scrub, a mix of lavender oil and sugar grains, every night. It should have worked for any normal, chapped lipped human being.

But Josh wasn't a normal human being with a normal curriculum and normal levels of anxiety. He spent most nights performing for thousands and touring with his oblivious tease of a best friend who he just so happened to be in love with.

Which is why Josh has resigned himself to the life of using his teeth to completely mutilate his lips before shows or any time Tyler bends over to pick something up.

Josh lets out a frustrated groan and flops onto the couch as Tyler gets on his knees and reaches under the television to plug the xbox in, effectively sticking his bum a bit too close for Josh's liking.

Josh can already imagine, as he tastes blood from his regularly split lip, how the memes after tonight's show would be particularly 'dank'.

-

Josh was laying in his bunk, one hand picking his fraying blanket and the other holding his phone.

'Brendon <3' (don't ask) was lit up in the dark bus as the connecting tone played over speaker. The rest of the crew and Tyler had gone go-karting but Josh had hung back, feigning a headache.

When Josh had garnered up enough insecurity and self loathing, he decided to approach, meme lord and actual dat boi, Brendon Boyd Urie (oh shit waddup).

Josh had gotten a good palm size hole in his blankie before Brendon answered.

"Sup dry lips."

Josh frowns,

"That's actually what I wanted to talk about, foreheadman." he retorts.

Brendon let out a humourless chuckle. 

"There are some things we gotta live with, man. Be glad you can unchappify your lips, I can't exactly reduce the gap between my eyebrows and hairline." comes Brendon's exasperated complain

Josh smiles, Brendon was a really easy guy to talk to, past the hyperactive behaviour. He'd taken Josh under his wing after learning about his similar struggle with fame and anxiety not mixing well. Plus he's got so many memes Josh is sure he's got a pretty good understanding of how it feels to be internet (in?)famous.

"I'm more surprised you're not frustrated with all this Joshler bullshit."

Josh let's himself blush, relieved he's speaking over the phone.

"Nah. I'm not too bothered by that" he mumbles throwing loose thread over the side of his bunk.

"I-I mean we're best friends." Josh continues nervously, daring Brendon to continue.

Thankfully, Brendon decides to drop it.

"God knows my fans haven't let Ryden go. Haven't seen the fucker in years. I kinda miss that little shit."

Josh had never met Ryan, but he knew how affected Brendon was from him leaving. Ryan was the main lyricist in panic and when he left, Brendon was out of his element as he was forced to write _and_ compose the songs.

"As much as the Ryden craze drove us apart, I wouldn't be where I am without my fans, married to the most beautiful girl in the world."

Josh hears an "aw shucks" in the background and grins. Sarah is lovely, and if Josh were straight he thinks Sarah would be his kinda girl.

"But I still love my little sinners, you know? That's the thing about love, you don't get to pick and choose."

There was a beat of silence, before Josh snorted out,

"Dude, you're so high right now."

"Fuck yeah I am."

Josh chuckles before Brendon continues.

"Besides, I've learnt that fans are joking like 800% of the time, don't be too hard on yourself. Ok?"

Josh mumbles in halfhearted agreement, thanking Brendon for his advice and hanging up.

He knew the fans were kidding, of course they were, but there was _photographical evidence_  of his ugly ass lips.

Josh debates opening twitter but decides against it, instead heading to the bathroom to check on his chapped lips till the rest came back.

He squints at the mirror, picking at the uneven bumps of skin, there was this one patch that just kept-

"Josh!" Josh jumps at the sound of his name and rips out a piece of skin, his eyes refocus in the mirror, seeing Tyler behind his reflection.

Josh turns around, on edge, partially due to the fact he's been caught out of bed, but also because Tyler is _soaked_ , through and through. His mouth goes dry.

"I fell in a fountain, don't ask. What're you doing out of bed?" Tyler questions, an amused look on his face.

Josh is usually good at bullshitting his way out of situations, he did take AP literature after all, but he can't seem to avert his gaze from Tyler's tattooed chest, visible behind his translucent white tee.

He swallows, before telling the truth, "I was checking on my li-" 

"Dude! You're bleeding." Tyler steps forward and grabs at the toilet paper behind him. Josh freezes up as Tyler closes the gap between them and starts dabbing (not the dance move) at his lips. Josh has imagined this scenario many times, not specifically as bloody, but they definitely lead _somewhere._ *cough cough* Tyler's pants *cough cough*. Oh god.

"Our father in heaven hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this-" he mutters under his breath. Only God can help him now.

Tyler shoots him a concerned look, "Are you running a fever? What wrong with you." he lifts his hand to Josh's head. Josh lets out a sigh so suggestive he's surprised Tyler isn't disgusted. "I can't wipe off the blood if you keep praying." and Josh wants to laugh because Tyler's so blind.

"You're actually a little hot." Josh almost chokes on his spit.

"Just a little?" he quips back, wiggling his eyebrows. Wow. That was surprisingly smooth. 

But it didn't matter. Tyler was shivering.

"Ty, you're gonna catch a cold if you don't change."

Tyler waves his hand dismissively before taking his shirt off. Josh _actually_  starts panting. He closes his eyes, it's just a bit too much. _G_ _ive us this day our daily bread, forgive us our sins as we-_

Tyler gets back to work. He actually goes a bit cross eyed with how hard he's focusing. "The bleeding's not stoping." he sighs out, flinging the bloody tissue into the toilet bowl. "There's gotta be an easier way." he takes a step back, and Josh can finally breathe.

He ruffles through the medicine cabinet. 

"Can we put bandaids on mouths."

Josh snorts, "Only if you wanna know what it taste like."

Tyler shoots him a sharp look, "You have any better ideas?"

"I could just suck on it." That's what she said.

"Yeah, and make it worse." Tyler retorts sarcastically. "You know you have a problem, Josh."

"No I don't!" he refutes, quite unconvincingly.

Tyler lays a hand on his shoulder, sighing, "The first step to overcoming a problem is admitting you have one."

"Fine." but he's rolling his eyes.

Tyler suddenly tilts his head, "Actually, why didn't you come with us? You don't seem sick." Josh averts his gaze thinking up some sort of excuse. "Don't worry, I won't tell the guys." Josh lets out a bunch of "um"s. Tyler's voice softens, "do you," his brows furrow, "not want to hang with me anymore?"

Josh's eyes widen before he starts, "what? NO nono no. I just- ugh the lip thing started to really get to me and no one seemed to care. So I called up Bren cause he's like the meme God and he gave me some pretty woke advice. Yeah." Josh shrugs, "besides, you're here now and that's all I ever really need." Josh gives him a cheeky grin and feels his lip split further, he winces.

Tyler let's out a laugh and chokes out, "You're such an idiot." while wiping at his eyes before leaning in to Josh's face. Josh can almost swear that he's going in for a kis-

"What are you doing!" Josh splutters out as Tyler's lips land on his. The good kind of splutter.

"I'm sucking the blood out." like it was perectly normal. He had a smudge of blood on his lip. Josh's blood. Josh shoots him an incredulous look but can't help gulping at the half a second memory of Tyler's lips pressed against his.

"Since I don't trust you to do it yourself. Now c'mere." he insists, dragging Josh closer by his shoulders. Josh goes pliant in his arms and lets Tyler tug him across the two inches of space between them.

"Isn't sucking my blood gross for you?" Josh laughs nervously, Tyler shrugs bringing his hand around the back of Josh's neck. He inspects the wound before nodding. 

"Pout a bit. If not I really have to get in there." he chuckles, but this is no laughing matter.

Josh complies even though the outcome of a sustained kiss from Tyler could ruin him. And he kinda wanted Tyler to "really get in there".

Tyler's eyes darken as his gaze locks onto Josh's lips. He licks his own lips and Josh dies, officially, with a certificate and everything.

He latches his lips onto Josh's bottom one in a kinda kiss, why did he go through with this? 

It's not too bad at first, with only the warmth of Tyler's breath, but he starts sucking and that's when things get weird. 

Josh moans, so deep and guttural he can't just pretend it never happened. It's over, Tyler's never gonna kiss/suck his blood ever again. Josh can feel the warmth of his flushing cheeks.

But Tyler doesn't stop. He opens his eyes and gives Josh an amused look, or as much of an amused look that is possible while attached to Josh's face.

There's a new warmth as Tyler swipes at his bottom lip with his tongue, keeping unabashed eye contact. Josh lurches and gasps lowly, creating an opening wide enough for Tyler to force his tongue in.

Tyler closes his eyes in concentration as he trails over the roof of Josh's mouth. Josh groans and is temporarily immobile. Tyler's hand traces down his arm and meets his palm in a reassuring squeeze. Josh kicks into motion, meeting Tyler's tongue with his own in a dance for dominance.

Tyler takes a step forward and deepens the kiss. Tongue exploring every crevice, Josh catches it between his teeth, biting lightly, causing Tyler to let out a high pitched whine straight into his mouth. Josh has double died.

By the time they break it off, Tyler is straddled over Josh on the toilet bowl, both are panting heavily.

"Huh." Tyler says, unmoving on Josh's lap, and that's gonna be a problem in a bit.

"Huh." Josh responds, because his blood is not in his brain, it's somewhere else.

Tyler smiles a toothy smile and giggles. "I've wanted to do that for a long time."

Josh rests his head against Tyler's bare chest, unbelieving. "How long?"

"Ever since I first saw you bite your lip. God, it just drives me insane. I just have this urge to kiss you whenever you did that. And I finally found a reason to." Josh looks up, chin still resting against his solar plexus. Tyler was smiling the widest he'd ever seen.

"Maybe you should do it more often then. God knows you're the reason I bite it so much." Tyler blushes but his smile is unrelenting.

"Maybe I will."

Finally, when Josh's lips are no longer chapped, when they're smooth from Tyler's incessant kisses, there're memes too, along with speculations on how they became as velvety as they are, most of which are correct.

**Author's Note:**

> I just had to add my homeboy brendon in


End file.
